Rabbis Devote Days To Keeping The Faith

There are lessons on the fine points of Jewish law. Group study of the Talmudic daily page. Classes on Hasidic thought, on the Jewish life cycle and "Judaism A to Z."

All are study sessions available free through the Boca Raton Community Kollel, where six intensely religious young rabbis are on two-year residencies, spending up to 15 hours a day vigorously studying among themselves or teaching what they know to any and all comers.

But their labor has a more significant purpose than the continuing pursuit of learning. It seeks to promote Jewish unity across the ideological spectrum of the faith.

So says the founder and dean of the kollel, Rabbi Kenneth Brander, the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Boca Raton Synagogue on whose campus the kollel sits.

Brander, not unaware of the rigid, separatist stereotype of the black-coated Orthodox rabbi, wanted to create a center of Jewish thought that would be inclusive of Judaism's three major movements -- Reform, Conservative and Orthodox -- using education about the faith as a tool "to bring everyone together."

And he wanted to make room for fun and atypical events such as a basketball invitational and barbecue next month.

He founded the kollel, also called the Boca Raton Judaic Fellows Program, five years ago, deliberately designing it "without walls." Its purpose is clear.

"To celebrate the idea of tolerance amongst Jews, without compromising what they study or the tag lines of Conservative, Orthodox or Reform," Brander said. "We are here to teach, not to indoctrinate."

In turn, Brander said, this "intellectual bridge" helps kollel rabbis be more "tolerant, effective, creative religious leaders" because they've swum in the swirling waters of all their faith has to offer.

FOR THE RECORD - CORRECTION PUBLISHED TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2001A photo caption on page 1B of Monday's edition misidentified Rabbi Efrem Goldberg. We regret the error.

"We are creating rabbis who have been blessed with these experiences and will transform the communities in which they'll live and work," Brander said.

There are kollels -- essentially centers of learning where married men pursue full-time post-graduate work in Talmudic law -- in many major U.S. cities, in Israel and a handful of other countries. There is one in Miami Beach.

The Boca Raton men start each day at 7 a.m., fanning out across Palm Beach and northern Broward counties, religious tomes in hand. They teach classes at day schools and retirement communities, synagogues and Jewish Federation offices.

Over midday meals they do "lunch and learn" programs in business locations. In the evening, they're prepared for one-on-one study at the synagogue with anyone who wants to know more about, say, Mishna Yomit, the foundation of the Oral Torah.

"As rabbis," kollel Rabbi Avi Schneider said, "there is never a moment when you're done learning. The Talmud says you learn something 100 times, and the 101st time you see something you never saw before."

The kollel "gives you an opportunity to grow, before you take a pulpit or go full time into education," said Yechiel Morris, a kollel rabbi. "We self-study, and at the same time you get your feet wet teaching."

Without question, they love this work, but they like to relax, too -- hence the basketball and barbecue invitational Sunday at Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton.

A team of the six rabbis -- one of whom, Schneider, coaches the fledgling Yeshiva High School squad -- will oppose a team composed of synagogue and community members. The team's name? The Runnin' Rebs.

The rabbis' team will be rounded out with the synagogue's staff custodian and a couple rabbis from other temples.

The men, all under 30 and married, are in various stages of their rabbinical training. Schneider, for one, will finish his studies at Yeshiva University in New York this summer.

"These guys are really smart, and really bright and really enthusiastic, and they have a really strong desire to learn and teach," said Tracy Marcow, the kollel's administrator.

And, she said, "some of them can really play basketball."

The fund-raising invitational will be at 11 a.m. Sunday at Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton. Entry is free; kosher food will be sold to raise money for the nonprofit kollel. There will be activities for children. Call 561-362-4394.

Marian Dozier can be reached at mdozier@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6643.